The present invention relates generally to bearing structures and, more particularly, to a bearing assembly for rotatably mounting and supporting a drum in a clothes dryer
Bearing and seal assemblies for use in supporting relation to rotating drums within clothes dryers are generally known. Such assemblies used in the past have included pliable ring structures incorporating materials such as surface pads of felt disposed at selected regions within the ring structure to dampen the vibration and noise associated with the rotation of the dryer drum. One prior assembly incorporating a felt seal with felt of different density disposed at different regions around a split ring bearing with a friction reducing powder coating across an upper wear surface is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,569 to Kadakia, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference herein. Another prior assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,823 to Ripley the teachings of which are incorporated by reference herein in which the bearing is comprised of a ring of felt-like material having an upper portion of relatively dense felt and a lower portion of relatively less dense felt. The upper portion includes wear-resistant pads which bear the weight of the drum.
While bearing assemblies of the prior types may provide rotational support for the front end of the dryer drum, the use of wear resistant coatings or surface pads may add complexity to the manufacturing process. Moreover, such assemblies may be prone to premature loss of friction resistance if a pad becomes displaced or if a section of the friction reducing coating is preferentially worn away. Since clothes dryers are typically used for a number of years, such premature degradation is generally undesirable.
The present invention provides advantages and alternatives over the prior art by providing a bearing for supporting the drum of a clothes dryer which includes an interior structural layer of high coherency felted fibrous material and an exterior surface covering for contact with the dryer drum formed of fibrous material including a wool constituent. The felted interior provides support and noise damping character while the exterior surface covering provides friction reduction and enhanced flame retardancy.